I say that transmission is not a T5

January 1, 2012 | By Richard Prince

Question:

In the July issue a reader asked for help in identifying the 5-speed transmission that came in a 1992 Chevy S10 he had purchased. His local dealer was only able to tell him that it’s an MY2 transmission. Your reply was that the MY2 is one version of the “widely used” T5 transmission.

I also have a 1992 S10 with a 4.3-liter engine and a 5-speed (MY2) transmission. I bought my truck new so I know that it has the original transmission and I can tell you that mine is not a T5; mine has the NV3500 transmission.

I put a clutch in mine last year and everyone wants to tell me that I have a T5 but it’s not. The bellhousing and transmission is all one piece, unlike the T5, which has separate parts. I had an IROC Zat one time and that had a T5.

My S10 has 235,000 miles on it and the transmission and engine have never given me any problems. So I think the transmission the reader has is an excellent choice for his 1946 pickup project.

Answer:

Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience with other Auto Restorer readers. While my reference sources say the truck came with a T5 there’s no arguing with the fact that your 1992 S10 apparently came with an NV3500.

As Greg points out, the NV3500 (NV for New Venture Gear, the transmission’s manufacturer) uses a one-piece case and bellhousing section while the T5 does not, so this is an easy way to distinguish one from the other. Of course, keep in mind that just because you have a 5-speed with one casting for the case and bellhousing, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have an NV3500.

Various other transmissions used by GM, including the Hydra-Matic/Muncie HM-290 and New Venture Gear NVG 5LM60, look very similar to the NV3500 on their outside.

Also, GM was not the only vehicle manufacturer to use NV3500 gearboxes. Others, most notably Dodge and Jeep, used this transmission but the GM and Chrysler Corp. boxes don’t easily interchange because they have different engine mount bolt patterns and since the bellhousing is part of the case it’s not a simple matter of changing the bellhousing.